Quotes of the day

posted at 10:35 pm on April 26, 2010 by Allahpundit

“It’s not clear if the motive for the Mississippi killing was political, but surely everyone can agree that battery and murder are not appropriate responses to the expression of invidious views. This column is also of the opinion that hate-speech laws are pernicious and that the First Amendment does and should protect the expression of even ugly and false ideas. But we would not endorse or participate in an ‘Everybody Shout a Racial Slur Day’ or an ‘Everybody Deny the Holocaust Day’ to make the point.

“Why is ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ different? Because the taboo against depictions of Muhammad is not a part of America’s common culture. The taboos against flag burning, racial slurs and Holocaust denial are. The problem with the ‘in-your-face message’ of ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ is not just that it is inconsiderate of the sensibilities of others, but that it defines those others–Muslims–as being outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders. It is an unwise message to send, assuming that one does not wish to make an enemy of the entire Muslim world.”

***
“One way of reducing the cost is to organize a solidarity campaign. The entertainment business, especially Hollywood, is one of the wealthiest and most powerful industries in the world. Following the example of Jon Stewart, who used the first segment of his April 22 show to defend ‘South Park,’ producers, actors, writers, musicians and other entertainers could lead such an effort.

“Another idea is to do stories of Muhammad where his image is shown as much as possible. These stories do not have to be negative or insulting, they just need to spread the risk. The aim is to confront hypersensitive Muslims with more targets than they can possibly contend with.

***
“This is what decadence looks like: a frantic coarseness that ‘bravely’ trashes its own values and traditions, and then knuckles under swiftly to totalitarianism and brute force.

“Happily, today’s would-be totalitarians are probably too marginal to take full advantage. This isn’t Weimar Germany, and Islam’s radical fringe is still a fringe, rather than an existential enemy.

“For that, we should be grateful. Because if a violent fringe is capable of inspiring so much cowardice and self-censorship, it suggests that there’s enough rot in our institutions that a stronger foe might be able to bring them crashing down.”

This isn’t about being angry at Muslims, not even the extremists. This is about being angry at the media, the art world, and the entertainment industry’s blatant double standard when it comes to offending Christians or Jews, versus offending Muslims. Muslim extemists make death threats all the time about anything and everything. What else is new? It’s the cowardice and hypocrisy of our liberal controlled popular culture that is inspiring “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day”.

This is about regular citizens creating a grassroots artistic, political “happening” on the internet, in order to draw attention to this cowardice and hypocrisy within our own culture. And if Muslims are offended in the process, then they should try to put themselves in the shoes of Christians and Jews who have to deal with scorn and ridicule all the time, and understand how upsetting it is to us to see such sensitivity being granted to a religion whose most fanatical followers are 1,000 times more violent and hateful than any Christian or Jew.

The problem with the ‘in-your-face message’ of ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ is not just that it is inconsiderate of the sensibilities of others, but that it defines those others–Muslims–as being outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders.

Holy False Premise, Batman! Taranto, comically, even goes on to list several instances of such courtesies not being accorded to American “insiders”, and doesn’t see the 300 lb disconnect standing in front of him. Easily one of the most intellectually inconsistent articles I’ve read all year.

So why is it good if Mexico controls immigration and bad if the U.S. does?

So, while demanding rights for Mexicans illegally in U.S. territory, Mexico defends its own territory by detaining illegal aliens from countries poorer than Mexico. Many Mexican officials abuse these illegal aliens.

And yet, you don’t see Central American illegal aliens marching through the streets of Mexico, demanding their “rights.”

You don’t see the governments of Guatemala and Honduras meddling in Mexican internal politics.

Why not?

Because they all know that Mexico wouldn’t tolerate it.

But up north, Uncle Sam tolerates illegal aliens in the streets demanding legalization and constant meddling in U.S. politics by Mexican officials.

The problem with the ‘in-your-face message’ of ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ is not just that it is inconsiderate of the sensibilities of others, but that it defines those others–Muslims–as being outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders.

Maybe those sensibilities shouldn’t be so sensitive. I’m tired of the sensitive sensibility of offended Muslims.

Muslims – welcome to Western culture, where everybodys God is subject to ridicule. Take it or leave it.

This isn’t Weimar Germany, and Islam’s radical fringe is still a fringe, rather than an existential enemy.

True story. Now if we could just get the masses on both sides to understand that. The Judeo-Christian -secular West from blaming all Muslims and the none-radical Muslims to start calling out their radical brethren for the evil they do. The goal should be peace – not agitation.

Now if we could just get the masses on both sides to understand that. The Judeo-Christian -secular West from blaming all Muslims and the none-radical Muslims to start calling out their radical brethren for the evil they do. The goal should be peace – not agitation.

Don L on April 27, 2010 at 6:53 AM

Ah yes, those dumb ignorant masses who think every Muslim wants to blow themselves up and kill people over cartoons.
Thanks for the morning pablum.

And by the way, the goal is freedom. Freedom doesn’t come peacefully.

You want peace, go live with the Eurofops who peacefully cower or scurry other way or placate when Muslims take to the streets over one offense or another.

If Muslims don’t like the depiction of Mohammad, then they should refrain from looking at it. The event proposed wasn’t “Everybody Draw Mohammad and Shove It in the Face of a Muslim Day.” It’s a affirmation of the right to non-participation. One group’s belief cannot dictate the behavior of another. That’s a fundamental principle in a society that has any degree of freedom. After all, every Saturday is “Everybody Operate an Electric Device Day.” Should people not switch on their light on that day out of respect for Orthodox Jews? And everyday is “Everybody Button Their Shirt, Draw a Car, Use Running Water Day.” Should we dismantle all of modern civilization to accommodate the sensibilities of Amish?

People getting upset at the idea of drawings of Muhammed, no matter how innocuous they may be, reminds me of the scene in Spinal Tap where Nigel tells Marti that he not only can’t touch his guitar, he can’t even look at it.

The problem with the ‘in-your-face message’ of ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ is not just that it is inconsiderate of the sensibilities of others, but that it defines those others–Muslims–as being outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders.

Ludicrous. They define themselves as outside of our culture. They make themselves unworthy of courtesy with their behavior. They are making death threats and you think those who send in-your-face messages are inconsiderate of sensibilities.

In the English version of ST, you are correct that Nigel wouldn’t hurt anyone. I see you aren’t aware of the Arabic version of the movie, which contains the same scene, but instead of guitars Nigel shows Marti his hookah collection. In this version, Marti picks up one of Nigel’s hookahs after being told not to, and the Arabic Nigel ends up sawing Marti’s head off for his grave disrespect.

Where are they? I don’t think they exist and they are a figment of the Muslim communities imagination.

rayvet on April 27, 2010

“Good” by whose standards? Ours or Mohammeds? By our standards a “good” Muslim will live in peace with his neighbors and obey the laws of the land in which they reside. By the murdering, extortionist and pedophile’s standards “good” Muslims will harass, subjugate or kill the infidel.

Because the taboo against depictions of Muhammad is not a part of America’s common culture. The taboos against flag burning, racial slurs and Holocaust denial are. The problem with the ‘in-your-face message’ of ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ is not just that it is inconsiderate of the sensibilities of others, but that it defines those others–Muslims–as being outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders.

The comparison is bogus for two reasons. 1) People go out and burn flags and deny the Holocaust all the time… and nothing really happens. And 2) if something does happen because of Mohammad Day, then it isn’t Americans who’ve sent a message that Muslims are outside the culture: it’s Muslims.

Everyone else has learned to deal with it. If one group hasn’t learned that, then it’s they who are doing the separating.

Another idea is to do stories of Muhammad where his image is shown as much as possible. These stories do not have to be negative or insulting, they just need to spread the risk. The aim is to confront hypersensitive Muslims with more targets than they can possibly contend with.

…which is PRECISELY the aim of “Everybody Draw Mohamed Day”. I truly would hope people would not be vulgar and rude, but merely draw a depiction of this Mohamed cat. But it’s a free country. People who can’t bear to grant others freedom should go somewhere that will clamp down on the peasants and keep them in line. Like Canada, for example.

As for all of the bed-wetters who are weeping that someone would defy the Muslim cultural norm, making them feel like outsiders — may I remind them that it hasn’t been that long ago that blaspheming Christ was as outside of our cultural norm as denying the Holocaust. I didn’t hear all of the pee-pantsed liberals coming to the defense of Christians. And since I’m a free speech kind of guy, I accepted that. I had plenty of objection when my tax money went to pay for “Piss Christ” and the like, but it’s a free country, and if someone wants to take the Hell Express, that’s between him and God. But why, now, are the same people who giggled at Piss Christ so concerned with the feelings of Muslims?

The answer is, of course, obvious. A lot of people really pretty much hate Christians and Christ, and are tickled to see the name or image of Jesus drug through the mud; but since Muslims ALSO hate Christians and Christ, they are fellow travelers, and not to be interfered with.

BTW, my plan is to paint my (tame) image of Mohamed on the side window of my ’95 van.

People say they don’t want to insult someone’s religion. That is being polite.
People say their religion cannot and must not be criticized that is being What?
There is no place, In The World, for people who cannot be criticized and Islam must be destroyed.
Alternatives?

…when the “moderate muslims” take to the streets to rage and protest against the actions of radical muslims with the same vitriol that they express towards non-muslims….then I will start to show more “courtesy towards their beliefs”

Baxter Greene on April 26, 2010 at 10:57 PM

Obviously it’ll never happen.
There no ‘moderate’ Muslims.
Any one of them who is following this ‘religion’ at all w/ any seriousness goes along w/ the ‘holy’ writings:
Kill or convert non-believers or force them to live in dhimmitude &
Enter into false contracts & lie to unbeliever kaffirs when they hold power over you, until you can rise up against them.
Their history is full of this behavior.
Anyone taking their word at face value for ANYTHING is a fool.
I am not going to go out of my way to mess w/ these people.
But I do not welcome them when they have these ideals.
Everything they stand for is at total odds w/ ideals of freedom so sorry, but I am not going to go out of my way to make them feel welcome.
There is no such thing as a ‘Muslim American’ bcs to be Muslim is to follow the teachings of Allah & Mohammed & they want to RULE THE WORLD w/ their caliphate.
Why is this so hard to understand?
A Muslim cannot be my friend bcs I am a kaffir to them.
I can never be their friend-only their enemy or a potential convert.

There are none except for building a fence around Muslim parts of the Middle East & don’t let them out.
Let them live together or battle to the death over their sectarian ways.
Don’t buy their stuff & don’t sell them anything.
Watch them circle the drain when that happens.

Mohammadism is bent on its openly and happily self-declared goal of: achieving global domination– by the Sword, if needed, or by Infiltration, if possible– and the establishment of a planetary theocratic tyranny, with Muslims in the guardtowers.

Criticism of Islam is blithely equated by the vapid MSM morons with criticism of other religions, blindly ignoring the truth that: Islam is more a totalitarian political force with religious trappings than a faith like Buddhism or Christianity or Taoism or every other peacefully-promulgated creed.

The demented deception by the Media about Islam and the Koran is symptomatic the gutless rot eviscerating the West.

The problem with the ‘in-your-face message’ of ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ is not just that it is inconsiderate of the sensibilities of others, but that it defines those others–Muslims–as being outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders. It is an unwise message to send, assuming that one does not wish to make an enemy of the entire Muslim world.”

Well, when the “entire Muslim World” decides they don’t want to make an enemy of us, I’ll be happy to return the favor.

But until “moderate” Muslims start making a habit of speaking out against the “extremists”, they will rightfully be tarred with the same brush.

Your religion does want you to show images of Muhammad? Great, don’t do it yourself. But don’t try to impose your ideas of blasphemy on me. And when other members of your religion threaten to kill people for showing those images, you can either speak out against them, or else get caught in the response against them.

But until average Muslims understand that their religion does not, and should not, bind the rest of us, they are, indeed, “outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders.”

But until average Muslims understand that their religion does not, and should not, bind the rest of us, they are, indeed, “outside of our culture, unworthy of the courtesy we readily accord to insiders.”

Greg Q on April 27, 2010 at 4:43 PM

Islam demands of its believing submissives that they bind us all to Mohammad’s (AKA Allah’s) dogmas.

Until the cretinous appeasers in the West learn and admit this, the still-free world slides daily into de facto submission to the theocratic tyranny of the Koran.